Welcome to the Family
by nyteangelofdarkness
Summary: Henry and siblings bring home their loves for the holidays- collection of one-shots.
1. Henry&Grace

_You can do this. Nothing will be different. Remember, at least he will like you_. Grace sighed and fixed her hair once again. Everything just had to be perfect.

"Grace, hun?"

She looked in the mirror and saw her father peaking his head in her bedroom. Since the curse had broken years before she had moved in with her father, spending part time between the Graces' –her curse parents- and her true father. He smiled wide and stepped inside, arms wide. She turned and hugged him tightly.

"What is it, papa?" she asked, pulled away to look up at him. It was then she realised he had changed into his Forest clothing, his large hat on his head once again.

"Just here to wish you luck tonight, not that you need it but with that family you never know…"

She chuckled and pulled away. "Thanks, papa." She looked him up and down and gain, raising a brow. "And where are you going?"

"Well since my daughter is scampering off to her boyfriend's home for Christmas Eve I am going on a quick run for some last minute necessities that the once former Queen and Gold has asked me for."

"What for?"

He shrugged. "The portals. Apparently they have figured out a way to hold and make a permanent portal to the Forest but they are missing some hard to obtain items which they have asked me to procure…"

"Papa…" she trailed off.

Hands were held up in self-defence. "Everything is on the up and up, Grace. It's to help everyone here, reconnect to our old land. We can go back home. And I'm the only one who can travel to the lands were the items are from."

She sighed but gave up. He was right. And she knew that things had changed in the other land since the curse had been lifted. The large players on the 'evil' side had given in and mellowed out and with two of the largest powers keeping an eye on the others, things had turned legit for the most part. Her father's powers too had become necessary in getting people home. And, she smiled at herself, she liked that he had taken her under his wing and had begun teaching her the business of being a Jumper.

"Fine." She leaned up and kissed his cheek. "You have a good time and be good. I'll see you tonight?"

"Tomorrow morning more likely. And you my dear, don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Of course not, papa."

* * *

Henry sighed and tried to tame the stray piece of hair that had chosen to defy every hair product they had in the house. Tonight just had to go perfectly…_She's going to run very far, and very fast._

Tonight Grace was going to join his family- the _whole_ family- for Christmas dinner. They had been putting this off for a while now but after a year and a bit in the relationship, Grace had finally pushed him. Might as well get it over with, she had said. And to be fair, she had met all of them already. A few dinners here and there at the Mills' and Cassidy's, more than a few movie nights at the Jones' as well as babysitting his new baby brother-Zarek- together when his parents were working. In each occurrence everything had gone as well as could be expected…nothing super out of the ordinary (well as ordinary as they came) but tonight…it would be a big step. These gatherings were always chaotic and embossing when it was just family but bringing in his girlfriend? God he just hope she didn't run.

"Oi lad, come down and help your mothers get ready," Killian peered inside at the sixteen year old who still stood staring at himself in the mirror. He stepped into the room. "Everything alright?"

Henry turned and looked at his step-father and frowned. "Yes? No? I honestly have no idea."

Killian closed the door and strode over to the young man. A hand and a careful hook was placed on his shoulders and gave him a light shake. "You will be fine, Henry. Everything will go well. All of us promise to be on our best behaviour."

Henry looked at his step-father and nodded slowly. "I know but still…It's terrifying having her here."

"Why? Because you think something will happen to make her run or what it means that she is becoming part of the family?"

His eyes widened. Yep, Killian had hit it on the head, as he usually had whenever it came to most things. He had helped Henry get Grace in the first place and had been crucial on keeping her and while he hadn't needed the pirate's help in quite some time (at least in this department), Henry once again found himself turning to the older man for help. Yes, if Grace came then it just meant that they were one step closer to something…more…real? After coming from a family where True Love reigned supreme he felt pressure to achieve the same for himself.

"Lad," he shifted to wrap and arm around the teen's shoulder and tucking Henry into his side. "It's a large step, I know. But we can all see that the two of you are ready for it. You both work so well together –."

"But what if it's not True Love?"

Killian scoffed. "Please, you're both sixteen. The two of you have years to figure things out. It took me over three hundred years to come across your mother and if things hadn't had happened the way it had then we would never have met. Don't think that because it's not True Lover it's not real. True Love is rare believe it or not. You just happen to know nearly every individual that has been blessed enough to have it but thousands…millions of others find their love and for them it's true and that's all that matters. As long as the two of you care and protect one another that's all that your mothers and grandparents and I and anyone else could ask for, Henry."

Henry sighed but nodded his head. "Thanks…Dad."

Killian shook him gently and smiled. "Now, go and help your mothers get ready. I have been tasked with diaper duty…unless you'd like to trade jobs?"

"Not a chance," Henry pulled away from the pirate, laughed and bolted out the room.

* * *

"Grace, dear, welcome!"

Grace smiled politely and greeted the former Queen- Regina, as she had told Grace to call her- before walking into the Jones' house. The home was beautifully decorated in blues and silvers. Henry had complained to her numerous times on their nightly phone calls over the winter holidays about decorating with his grandmother and father…apparently the two were very intense and competitive decorators.

"Merry Christmas," Grace greeted.

Regina smiled and pulled her into a hug then took her coat. "Well come in and join the rest of the clan."

Screaming laughter came and young Roland came running in from the depths of the house and slammed into her.

"Grace, Grace, Grace! You're here!"

She smiled and leaned down to pick up the child. "Hello, Rolly. You been a good boy?"

"Yes!" he laughed and squirmed out of her grip.

"No," his step-mother countered, her arms crossed and a stern look crossed her face "Little munchkin got into my pie this morning."

"Oh but dear, can you really blame the boy?" Robin chuckled as he walked into the foyer and picked up his son who ran to him. The former outlaw kissed his now wife and greeted the young girl.

"Fine, fine," Regina waved him away. "Be gone," she ordered with a slight smile on her face. "Snow and I have more preparations to attend to."

Robin laughed and bowed before taking his son and walking out towards the backyard. Grace turned and followed Regina who made her way into the depths of the home. Inside was so warm and cosy. The fire place in the living room was roaring already and Grace noticed the heaping piles of presents under the large tree which Grace remembered going to the forest to find with Henry, Killian and Robin. Voices were heard from every room, each one sounding happy.

"Grace."

Henry stood in the living room entrance, a bag full of presents slung over his shoulder. "Sorry I couldn't greet you," he said as he put them into the ever growing pile. "I had to help bring in a few things for Mom."

"It's ok, I just got here." She walked over to him and smiled when he pulled her in closely. Lightly he placed a kiss to her forehead and smiled at her, his brown eyes warm and comforting.

"Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas Eve, my Prince."

Henry groaned at the title and ran a hand through his hair. "You don't have to…I'm not really…"

She pecked at his cheek and smiled. "I know, I just love that stupid look you get on your face."

"Oh is that so?" he laughed and tackled her, picking her up effortlessly and dumping her onto the couch and tackling her.

"Hey, not on my furniture you two!" Emma called out from the kitchen, noticing the pair.

"Oh but Emma love, we've tested it out enough to know it can take more than that!" Killian hollered from the stairs, arriving with baby Zarek in his arms.

They both quickly jumped off the couch. Grace blushed, Henry groaned and Emma grabbed the knife from her mother's hand and began to chase down her husband. Killian tossed his son to Belle who had just arrived, standing in the foyer with Gold and looking quite confused, before taking off at a run around the house, avoiding the newly pregnant saviour.

"Oh you little!" she yelled out. "I am going to skin you when I get my hands on you!"

Regina shook her head and covered her eyes. David and Snow just turned to each other and laughed.

"We did not need to hear that," Regina muttered. "Now I know where I won't be sitting."

"Oh please, Regina. Not like we haven't done the same." Robin quipped in. He leaned over the counter to swipe a finger into the desert she was finishing and narrowly missed having his appendage stabbed.

"You, never speak of that again," she pointed her own knife at her husband.

Henry shook his head. And this was why he had avoided this…alone they were all fine (relatively) but together it was insanity.

"What the hell did I just walk into?"

Henry looked over the couch from his spot on the floor at Neal and Tink who had just arrived shortly after Gold and Belle. The pair were still shaking off the snow when he ran over to greet them. Grace rose and smoothed out her shirt. It never really occurred to her how much Henry looked like his father's side until she saw the three of them standing together. She could see the similarities over the generations, the hair, their eyes, even their stature had become more and more similar as Henry grew. It made her smile as he quickly embraced his father and shook his grandfather's hand.

"Merry Holidays, dear!" Tink skipped towards her and pulled Grace into a crushing hug, separated only by the large pregnant bulge which was due in less than a month.

"It's Merry Christmas _or_ Happy Holidays, not both," Neal sighed and shook his head, apparently tired of explaining it to his fiancé. "And Merry Christmas, Grace. Nice to see you've joined the nut house."

"Thanks and it's not that bad."

"So far," Henry scoffed and placed the bags his father had brought in under the tree. "Only two knives have been brandished, a record I think."

"Yeah well it's a bit easier now that we can't have firing practice while waiting for the food to cook." Neal offered.

"Speaking of food," Belle cut in to the small group and passed Zarek off to Neal. "Where should I put mine?"

"Here, let me," Henry jumped up and grabbed the package from the hall and escorted the Lady Belle into the kitchen where the other women seemed to have gathered. Grace followed the pair -leaving the now growing group of men as Killian, Robin and David arrived with children in hand- into the kitchen.

Just like the rest of the house this room was straight out of a magazine and smelled like perfection. No holiday Grace could remember felt this warm and perfect and she smiled as she was welcomed into the close knit group. The recently crowned Queen Snow and the resigned Queen Regina stood side by side at the oven, checking this and that. Emma poured herself another glass of not wine (as she complained throughout the night and continued to blame her husband who retaliated with a swig from his own glass and a well timed smirk) and came to stand beside her at the bar top. She nudged at Grace and smiled.

"Merry Christmas, kid."

Grace smiled. With that simple word she knew that she had been accepted.

* * *

The rest of the affair went fairly smoothly. Dinner was absolutely beautiful and the large crowd gathered around the extended dining table. Henry had laughed and told her he had to fight for the two of them to be at the 'adult' table and not sitting with Roland and James (as baby Zarek and Eva still sat near their mothers). The food was beautiful and the conversation lively. Discussions ranged from returning to the forest and royal politics to the boys planning a wide scale snow ball fight/duel in the morning. Eventually things petered out and they all shifted to the family room, the children screaming in delight at opening presents from their family member.

Grace smiled as Henry took his place on the floor, helping and attempting too wrangle in his two younger brothers and toddler uncle. Zarek had everyone laughing, even Mr. Gold, at his precision on opening his first presents ever, slapping away helping hands from his parents and brother and wanting to open them slowly.

As the children's gifts were given out the adults started to share a few of their own. Smiles and hugs between family and a few kisses between couples were shared. She was even given some beautiful clothing from Regina and Snow, a perfect little necklace from Belle and Gold and an empty leather bound journal book from Emma who had smiled and told her it was time to tell her own story.

Grace smiled and leaned back against the couch arm from her place on the floor, just taking in the warmth this once tattered and broken family now gave off. The wounds and hatred they had between each other were healing still but she saw he hope in their faces, the ties that were forming once again. Snow and Regina both gave each other fairly honest hugs after exchanging gifts, Emma and Neal shared a laugh over each other's gag gifts and even Hook –Killian- gave Gold a respectable nod when his wife opened up a present meant for the pair, a beautiful crystal mobile for the new babe.

She was lost in the moment and startled when Henry sidled up next to her and wrapped his arm around her. He pulled her in closer to his side and she in turn wrapped her own arm around his waist, tucking in closely.

"So nothing too traumatising?" he whispered resting his forehead on hers.

She smiled and shook her head. "Of course not. I had a great time. They aren't half as bad as you make them sound."

He pulled away and laughed. "Not trust me they're worse but there were nice enough to tone it down."

She shrugged and pulled him close again, watching his family continue to interact. Things dying down as the night went on. The fire slowly dying, the children crashing where they may as the sugar wore off. "Well they might as well drop it because you know…" she paused and looked into Henry's eyes. "I do plan on sticking around for a while. And it would be a shame if they had to put on an act for that many years."

He didn't answer at first. Emotions played on his face and then he stood up, pulling her with him. The others didn't question when he pulled her out to the back screened in porch. Silence between them grew at they both listened to the sounds of the small wooded area behind the house. The winter's wind was light and gently blew about the light snow that had been going for days.

"Grace," he finally spoke.

She turned to him and was unsettled by the look in his eyes. In those hazel eyes flashed fear for a moment before quickly being overcome by something much stronger.

"Grace," he repeated and took her hands in his. "I honestly don't know where to start or what to say. You'd think, you know coming from all that," he waved to the house, "that'd I'd have a better idea about stuff like this but I don't. All I know is that I care about you…really, really care about you and I know after seeing you here that I want you to be here, with me, well…for as long as you want to. I know we're young but that's never stopped anyone before."

Grace's heart stopped as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small ring. It was quite plain and simple, a small amethysts stone sat in the center.

"I want to give this to you, as a promise, I guess that I'll be here for you for as long as you would wish. That no matter what you'll always have a friend and someone to turn to." He paused and waited for her. Grace felt her eyes tear up but raised her hand. The warm metal slipped easily onto her right hand and his eyes, his smile made her day.

"Henry," she whispered and pulled him close. She smashed her lips none too gently onto his and he returned it just as fierce. She tried to convey what she always had trouble saying, tried to convey her gratefulness and hope, her friendship with him and…well yes her love for the gangly teen. She loved him.

"Love you, Grace," he whispered out as their kiss petered out. "As long as you'll have me."

She smiled and ran her hand through his hair, over his face and he the same. "I'll have you forever, little Prince."

"As you wish, my lady."

The pulled apart but stayed out together wrapped up in each other's arms and presence. The snow came down softly still but Grace was still warm, curled up next to Henry. She knew that here, with him she would be spending most of her life. She knew that next year they would find themselves in the same spot and hopefully for many years to come. The family would grow and change but she knew she would always have a place with them, with him for as long as she wished and right now that was forever. Forever seemed like just long enough.

* * *

Hello! Well hopefully you enjoy a slightly belated holiday fiction. Each chapter will follow Henry and the Jones siblings (from my 'verse shared throughout Letters, Distinguished and Wedding Day) brining home their significant others. I have the other three nearly written out but I also have three essays to write so will most likely not post for another week or so. So please feel free to read and review (please do, nothing gives a writer more of a boost than a quick 'good job') and thank you again to all those who have read and reviewed my other OUAT fictions and who have followed me. You guys really are helping me get through a rather tough and jarring time this year. So again thank you so much everyone, this would not be possible without you!


	2. Zarek&Sarahpt1

"Man I really don't envy you there, Z."

Zarek Jones sighed and ran a hand through his thick nearly black hair. His apartment was empty finally, his fiancé having just left to get some food before the storm hit their New York abode.

"Any suggestions? Brother to brother? Anything?"

Henry laughed on the other end of the line. Zarek heard the high pitch laughter of his niece, little Paige, in the background and someone else yelling.

"One sec, Z. Alice check on your sister! Mary-Alice Mills go and check on Paige! God, Z you sure you want to get yourself into this stuff? I let you take the girls for the weekend and I think you'll regret your decision."

Zarek laughed at his older brother. "Still not the same. Besides I've babysat those two enough times already. Ship them over to Liam."

Henry snorted. "Liam? Please, I wouldn't leave my goldfish with him."

"Understatement. But really Henry. I'm bringing her home this weekend and I have no idea how to break it to her. I mean how the hell do I explain our family? It's bad enough I can claim Captain Hook is my father and my mother is the daughter of Snow White and good old Prince Charming but throw in your half of the mix with the six parents and the same age thing and magic. God magic…How the hell am I going to break it to her?"

Henry sighed on the other side. He wanted to help his brother, he really did. All along Henry had tried to guide and protect his younger siblings and being nearly fifteen years older than them all didn't help either. He almost felt like the in-between parent that they all ran to for help.

"I really can't offer you any advice, Z. Honestly. I thought it was bad enough trying to bring Grace in with just how nuts our family is on a regular basis but throw in not knowing anything about our world…"

"I know, I know." He paused and glanced over at a photograph of himself and his fiancé, Sarah, at a local pub. God how he tried to not fall for her but he failed in the end. She had wormed her way into his heart in the end. As much as he didn't want to get attached to someone on the outside it was a part of what attracted him to her. She didn't understand magic, she didn't realise the costs and balances that made the world go round. She didn't know how to fight with a sword or shoot a gun. She didn't understand politics and didn't have to worry about 'the people'. Sarah Grey was a perfectly ordinary woman. She had plain brown hair and eyes, medium height and came from a simple family of civil servants, a simple nuclear family of her parents, herself and a brother. God just how plain and simple and easy it was being with her. Just the two of them. School took up most of their days, himself in his last year of pre-med at NYU and she in a Literature major, then coming home to cheap and simple meals, curling up on the couch to watch pirated movies and tv shows because they were too poor to afford cable for their basement apartment.

Simple, plain, ordinary…and totally fake.

He wasn't the typical twenty-three year old pre-med student from a family of six that he always went by. He was related to some of their world's most well-known heroes and villains. He had learnt to sail, navigate and survive from Captain Hook, learnt archery from Robin Hood and sword play from Prince Charming. He had learnt to control his innate magic by the 'Evil Queen' and Rumplestiltskin and politics/ public speaking from Snow White (as well as helping control his nervous stutter) and many tips and tricks along with a healthy respect for books from the Lady Belle. Hell even after choosing to peruse medicine for the sake of helping others, he had accepted guidance and the knowledge passed down from Dr. Frankenstein himself. He had been groomed from early on to be a leader, both he and his uncle James.

Early on it had been worked out that once the portal to the Forest would be able to be held open between the two worlds, the adults would plan out the reorganization of the kingdoms. Most royalty had gone back to their own kingdoms, swearing a treaty of peace between all those that had been effected by the curse, most of them having ties that now crossed kingdoms and a bond that had been formed from years together. One problem though was left on the hands of David and Snow. Two kingdoms to rule between them, too far apart to be ruled under one monarch. Both knew that Regina would have to step down after all that had happened, most people even disputed her maintaining her own family's titles and wealth but she remained a Lady under the kingdom of the new Queen Snow and thus protected. But what to do with the Kingdom once held by King George?

The solution before the curse would have been quite easy. As most monarchs, they would have left the one kingdom to one of their children to co-rule as a family. Zarek's mother turned that down in a heartbeat. Henry too, turned down the title. Having lived most of his life in the other realm, he did not feel comfortable taking such a leadership role and by that time he had already become entrenched in what would later become his own career and family. Now it would be left to the next generation. James and Eva had been brought up as young children to know that they would one day step into a leadership role. Zarek and his siblings too had been gently guided into leadership from a young age. Both Emma and Killian had agreed to allow their children the choice of becoming the ruler should the opportunity arrive. All three had been prepared should it ever arise and for Zarek-as eldest-, it had.

The kingdom once belonging to King George needed a leader. David and Snow had tried for years to leave others in charge with little success, the kingdom –just as all the others- still recovering from the curse and needed a firm guiding hand. Instead, the pair jumped back and forth and separated at times in attempt to rule but it put a strain on the two. James had been named heir to Snow's kingdom where his parents ruled but the other remained open. Eventually, while Zarek was still in his early teens, his grandfather had sat him down and explained. Explained that he was a Prince by birth- he had known his already- and that sometimes it meant stepping up and taking that responsibility. He had been told the risks and challenges he would face as a young leader but Zarek had agreed. After his schooling was finished, in less than one year, he was to return and accept the position of King.

Before leaving Storybrooke, Zarek had been proud that everyone thought that he would become a great king, always being told of his level head and knack for understanding the people. He knew his role and place in life and was looking forward to the day that he could serve the kingdom, one day ruling side by side with his best friend and uncle, James. He had gone into medicine thinking he would then be able to serve on the lines during the tail end battles with the ogres, his magic giving him quite an edge to save those who otherwise would have been lost (bring back from the dead, no but saving those very close to it he had been able to do).

But now…after these wonderfully simple three years with Sarah in New York things had changed. Zarek still knew he wanted to be King but he faltered. Now he had more to think about than himself, he had to think about his fiancé.

"Have you tried to tell her anything?"

His brother's voice on the other end jolted Zarek from thought. He rubbed at his face. "No. Well, kind of. I got her to read the books you and Grace wrote. We talked about them and even that didn't go over well…"

"Wait? She didn't like our books?"

Zarek's lip tugged up at the corner. If there was one thing Henry defended more than his family, it was his books. "Yeah, she liked Grace's well enough, said that she had read them to her nephew but your novels…said they were a little unbelievable."

A rather undignified snort came through the phone. "Unbelievable my ass. It happened!"

And it had. Henry had done his best to write the tales since their mother arrived in Storybrooke, changing names and the like but maintaining the basic tales. Telling his own story on Neverland and the battles thereafter. For the masses, it was a huge hit. Grace had taken a similar approach but rather chose to write for the children. She took the classic tales and wrote in the development which made villains less villainess and seeing the flaws and mistakes made by the heroes. Making them all human again.

"Yeah well the two of you can have that discussion when we get home."

"Home? Z, it's is in the Forest this year. I thought Mom told you?"

God, nothing could go right, could it? "Well at least it'll make her have to believe it after jumping through a magic portal and all."

"Always looking on the bright side aren't you…"

"It's my gift."

The doorknob giggled loudly and a muffled sound came through the door. Sarah was back.

"Hey Henry, I'm going to have to let you go but I'll see you this weekend."

He hung up as Sarah walked through the door. Together they moved in the synchronized pattern that living together had caused them to develop. Putting away groceries morphed into preparing dinner, eating dinner then settling in together before the tv.

Zarek sighed and ran his hand through her hair as she laid against his chest with their legs stretched out on the couch. This is what he had become used to. This was what he had always wanted. Someone who he could have these simple moments with, someone with who the silence was comforting as just their presence was enough. It was what he had grown up around. His own parents were a True Love pair, his grandparents, his aunt and uncle…all of them had their one who felt this good. They had all seen it, he and all his siblings and aunts/uncles/cousins…seen the small simple smiles and the comforting touches that made their parents just happy inside and out. He had always wanted that for himself and he had found it in Sarah.

"What are you thinking?" she asked. Brown eyes turned from the tv to him, scanning his face and reached up to smooth out the lines in his brow then lightly ran her thumb over his trimmed beard.

"Just thinking about introducing you to my family."

She smiled at him and rested her chin on his chest. "It'll be fine. I met your mother for coffee the last time she came by and it went well."

"Yeah well…she's the most normal of the lot."

Sarah pushed herself up and placed a light kiss. "They raised a smart, beautiful and downright perfect man like you. How weird could they possibly be?"

* * *

The week had gone well enough. Eventually the inevitable had come and the pair packed up their car and Zarek headed home. The drive had been pleasant enough but all too soon he found himself near the edge of the boundary. The energy from it surged through him, sending all nerves on end. Even after all these years it still remained, still protected the town at the same time as holding back most of its residence. Of course, as it always had been, those who were not placed directly under the curse were able to move freely over it. Before, that had left a very few handful of people with whom he generally was related it but now after so many years and a good number of people choosing to remain the small town a new group of people had been born into the town and- just as Henry had shown years before-they were able to leave. Not all had the same reaction he did when crossing the boundary, no, it was because of the old magic surging through him, stronger than even his mother's from the compounding purity of True Love, a second generation of it. His magic, like that of his brother and sister was far stronger than any could have imaged and had to be worked with carefully from a young age with both Aunt Regina and Mr. Gold (as everyone was too terrified to call him Uncle Rumple, Aunt Belle kept insisting though…) to learn to control it.

God just another thing to tell her…

"Why did you stop?"

Zarek shook out of his thoughts and looked over at Sarah who stared at him, eyebrow raised in confusion. He had indeed, stopped on the road, bumper just nudging up against the barrier. The grip on the steering wheel had turned his knuckled white. Without replying he continued driving into Storybrooke, an intense wave rushed over him as he now was in a land of magic. His powers returned in a heartbeat, instant head rush. As he breathed out he felt the energy within him once again. God how he missed it.

"Nearly there," he commented nervously.

"Are you sure? There doesn't seem to be anything out here. I mean how remote is this place? It's not even on a map."

He chuckled...oh and it better stay that way. "I'm sure."

Soon the small cozy town peaked out behind the forest and Sarah took his hand in hers. Driving down the streets, mindlessly turning the corners until eventually Zarek found himself parking in his parent's driveway, in his childhood home.

"Is anyone here?" Sarah asked. She grabbed her one bag from the back seat and peered into the window. "I mean, cars are here but there doesn't seem to be anyone in."

Zarek sighed. Oh he knew what that meant. It meant that Henry was right and apparently he had picked the worst year to bring someone new in.

"Yeah, my brother called this week and said that they were going to be in the Forest for this Thanksgiving."

"The forest?"

He shrugged and headed inside. Indeed the house was empty but left as tidy as it always was. The quaint three bedroom home of his childhood was beautifully decorated as well. His grandmother and father must have spent hours on it.

"So where am I putting my bags?" Sarah shouldered her purse and closed the door behind her and stared at awe in the foyer.

"Just leave them in the car. We're not staying here. I just had to stop by and drab a few things I'll be needing." He ducked upstairs, taking them two at a time and quickly opened his old room. _Sword, dagger, Forest clothing…_he changed as quickly as he could, might as well do it now because as soon as they arrived he'd be dragged somewhere.

"So are we camping out in the middle of the fall then?"

Zarek looked up from adjusting his belt and scabbard. The clothing still fit as well as before, the high quality leather and fabric made for a Prince.

"What the hell is that?" she looked him up and down.

"I'll explain later?" he tried, sheathing his sword and dagger.

"Why do you look like someone from a convention?"

He laughed and pulled her in close. "I'll explain later."

She puffed out and blew at her bangs. "What's with this later stuff?"

He placed a kiss on her forehead. "Just…just trust me ok?"

"Fine."

* * *

"This is impossible."

Zarek sighed and wrapped his arms around Sarah. It had taken an hour to talk her into following him into Regina's crypt and another two to try and calm her down after he opened the private portal of his family

"Not impossible, just….unusual?"

She shot him an exasperated look. "It's impossible"

He shook his head and unwrapped the bindings he had placed on the open wound. This portal required a specific code…fresh blood from a small select number of people, namely his family. As Regina had explained, having the ability to open a portal at will between the two worlds required a price and this seemed to be the easiest compromise. The other portal, the larger one which the citizens could use, only opened once a month during the hour of the highest moon…the strongest time for it.

"You should keep that covered," Sarah reached again for the binding he had taken off, the wound opened by his dagger.

"No I want you to see this." Zarek held out his palm, still bleeding quite freely and waved his other hand over it. The wound sealed, the skin knitted together perfectly and no trace of the deep cut remained. He heard her gasp and he grabbed for her hand with his now healed one.

"It's not impossible. Just different. This is the world I came from, Sarah. And you have become my world now. I don't want to lose either of you."

Sarah traced his unmarked hand then looked up. Her brown eyes wide, deer caught in a headlight but soon she nodded.

"Okay. Okay, Show me your world."

* * *

Hello! I am NOT dead! Whoo hoo! But I am just finished up my FINAL final of my undergrad! Yippie! So here is pt1 of Zarek's chapter and I am also posting a chapter for 'Kiss it Better' in a few short minutes. So again thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this and any of my other OUAT shots and I beg you to continue. Also!If anyone has any better ideas for a title of these collections please shoot me a PM or in the comments. So again thank you so much to everyone and wish me luck on my final final!


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